"Don't feed Vision anything strange," Tony said, looking at Renzo lying inside the examination pod with a sigh. "I finally found time to spend a weekend with Pepper."
A few peaceful days had passed, and Tony had planned to enjoy them. Instead, Steve had called him back, saying Vision was malfunctioning. The moment Tony heard that, he'd dropped everything—canceling dinner with Pepper and rushing back to the compound, worried Renzo might turn into a second Ultron.
"We still don't understand why there's strawberry jam and pineapple inside Vision's system. It's… weird," Natasha said, rubbing her forehead, clearly confused. Nearby, Wanda stood with her head lowered, cheeks flushed, looking uneasy.
"Will he be in any danger?" Wanda asked, her voice filled with concern.
Tony gave her a meaningful glance. "Not now, and not in the future. But it's best not to give Vision human food. After all… he's not actually human."
Renzo stepped out of the chamber and stretched slightly. His body felt a bit stiff, but otherwise fully functional.
"Sorry…" he said quietly. "I was just curious what your food tastes like. It looks so good on screen—I wanted to try it myself."
Tony replied seriously, "You really shouldn't. Your body's structure is incredibly complex. Rearranging millions of neural components isn't exactly easy."
"God knows how Ultron even built this body."
Steve crossed his arms. "Now that Vision's back to normal, let's all get back to our own responsibilities."
"Yeah," Renzo nodded. Honestly, if Steve hadn't intervened earlier, he didn't know how far things might have gone.
"Nick Fury is still tracking down Hydra remnants," Steve added. "He recently asked Natasha and me for help. Looks like we'll be busy again."
Tony nodded, already turning to leave. He got into his car—he still had that postponed date with Pepper. Chasing down scattered Hydra agents was something Fury could handle.
Steve and Natasha left together as well, leaving only Wanda and Renzo behind.
Oh—and Pietro. He had tried to help restrain Renzo earlier, but ended up getting accidentally knocked out again after taking a hit to the back of the head. He was currently resting in his room.
"Um… I'm sorry… I didn't expect this to happen," Wanda said nervously, tugging at the corner of her coat, avoiding Renzo's gaze.
"It's okay, Wanda," Renzo replied gently, looking at her delicate face.
The Mind Stone on his forehead flickered. A soft golden glow enveloped his body, and before Wanda's eyes, his red-and-green metallic form shifted—becoming indistinguishable from a real human.
Renzo turned slightly, glancing at his reflection in the glass. He sighed inwardly.
It really does look like Paul Bettany… Even though Vision is based on him, using someone else's face still feels strange.
Wanda stared in astonishment, her hand hovering as if she might reach out and touch him at any moment.
"It's just an appearance change," Renzo explained. "Think of it as an illusion."
He had grown far more proficient with Vision's abilities. Compared to when he had just been created and struggled against Ultron, he was now completely different—at the very least, he wouldn't be overpowered so easily again.
"Ultron…"
"There hasn't been much happening lately," Wanda's soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah."
An awkward silence settled between them.
"…Want to go out for a bit?" Renzo suggested.
"Huh?" Wanda looked up at him, puzzled.
"New York, Chicago… or San Francisco. It's not too late. We could walk around, see something interesting. Better than staying here watching "Prison Break"."
"Okay!" Wanda agreed immediately, her face lighting up. No girl could easily refuse an invitation like that.
Her parents had died when she was young. After that, she had wandered with Pietro, drifting from place to place, joining protests and struggling to survive. Their powers hadn't even awakened until Hydra took them.
There had never been time for shopping, or enjoying life.
Even food had been uncertain.
Renzo felt a quiet pang of sympathy. In his previous life, a girl her age would have been carefree—buying clothes, enjoying herself.
Now, at least, with Tony's support, Wanda and Pietro no longer had to worry about money.
So Renzo booked tickets to San Francisco—first class, of course—and reserved one of the best hotels. It wasn't his money, after all.
…
"This is San Francisco…"
From the balcony of the Fairmont Hotel, the setting sun painted the city in gold. Renzo stood there, taking in the view.
"Wanda…"
"Do you want to get something to eat?" Wanda asked instinctively—then quickly waved her hands. "Sorry! I forgot—you can't eat."
"It's fine," Renzo said with a small smile. "There are plenty of famous restaurants here. I can go with you. Even the hotel's food is excellent."
Wanda nodded, still a little hesitant. "Are you sure? What if—"
"No," Renzo interrupted gently. "I just want to watch you eat. You're beautiful enough that just looking at you is satisfying."
"Doesn't that sound a little strange?" Wanda laughed, covering her mouth. She hadn't expected a robot to be so smooth with words.
They walked through the streets of San Francisco together. There were many Chinese neighborhoods, and for Renzo, it felt oddly familiar—almost like being back in Shanghai.
"Want to try Japanese food?" Renzo suggested, glancing at a restaurant on the corner.
"Sure, I've never had it before," Wanda said, following him inside.
They sat down, and Renzo ordered a few dishes before the two began chatting.
"Doesn't it feel strange?" Wanda asked, glancing around. "You're sitting in a restaurant… but not eating."
The aroma of the food filled the air, and her stomach let out a small, betraying growl.
A faint blush crept across her cheeks. She quickly looked away, stealing occasional glances at Renzo. Seeing him quiet and still, she felt a small flicker of disappointment.
Renzo wasn't actually distracted—he had simply been thinking about something interesting he'd recalled about the city.
"Your food!"
The waiter placed the steaming dishes in front of them and left.
"These chopsticks… are so hard to use!"
Renzo couldn't help but smile. Wanda fumbled with them awkwardly, failing to pick up anything and only making a mess of her plate. It was unexpectedly adorable.
"Here—this is how you use them." Renzo demonstrated, his fingers moving with precise control as he easily picked up a piece of food.
He held it out toward her with a gentle smile. "It's fine. You'll get the hang of it with practice."
Wanda swallowed, staring at the food. She tried again—but still failed. She glanced at Renzo, then her eyes flickered red.
She was seriously considering using telekinesis.
Renzo nearly laughed out loud, watching the scene. Thankfully, he kept his expression composed.
Amid his barely suppressed amusement, Wanda finished the meal with a flushed face.
At the same time, she made a silent vow—
She "would" master chopsticks.
And she would never let him laugh at her like that again.
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